Grey Squirrels In The Loft

What's happening?

Grey squirrels in a roof space sound different from rats: heavier, active in daylight, with a characteristic rolling or dragging noise as they move nesting material. They get in by climbing — a downpipe, a wall, an overhanging branch — and enlarge a small gap at the soffit, verge or fascia by gnawing. Once inside they shred insulation for bedding, gnaw timber and, most seriously, strip electrical cable, which is why squirrels in a loft are treated as a fire risk rather than a nuisance. There is also a legal dimension people do not expect. Grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species in Great Britain, and it is an offence to release one or allow it to escape — which means live-catching and taking it to a wood is unlawful, not kind.

What usually causes it?

• Overhanging branches or a climbable downpipe giving access to the roofline
• A small gap at the soffit, fascia, verge or bargeboard, gnawed larger
• Missing or slipped tiles and an open ridge or verge end after storm damage
• Rotten or thin timber at the eaves that a squirrel can gnaw through
• Bird feeders and nut feeders in the garden concentrating squirrels at the building
• A previously used loft with residual scent attracting the next animal
• Open lofts in a terrace or semi, so a neighbouring roof space connects to yours

When should you call a pest controller?

Call a pest controller quickly, particularly in late winter and spring when there may be a litter — a female with young will not leave, and blocking her out leaves dependent kittens to die in the loft. Call urgently if you smell burning or notice lights or circuits misbehaving, and get the wiring checked by an electrician regardless. Proofing after removal is the part that decides whether it happens again, so ask specifically about it when you book.

What will the pest controller actually do?

• Confirm the species and check for a breeding female and dependent young before any exclusion
• Locate every entry point along the eaves, verge, fascia and roofline, not just the obvious one
• Remove the animals lawfully and humanely, which cannot involve release elsewhere
• Proof the roofline with materials squirrels cannot gnaw through, once the loft is clear
• Clear shredded insulation and nesting material, and identify damaged cable for an electrician
• Advise on branch clearance and feeder placement so the roof stops being reachable

If it turns out to be bats, stop

A significant number of loft noise calls turn out to be bats, and bats are in a different legal category from every other animal on this page. All UK bat species are protected: it is an offence to deliberately kill, injure, capture or disturb a bat, or to damage, destroy or obstruct access to a roost — and a roost stays protected whether or not bats are in it at the time.

That means loft work, insulation, proofing, roofing and treatment all stop until you have taken advice. Contact the Bat Conservation Trust's national helpline or the statutory nature conservation body for your country before anything is sealed, sprayed or removed. A licence may be needed even for work that would otherwise be routine maintenance.

• Do not proof, seal, spray, insulate or re-roof a loft where bats may be present
• Bat droppings crumble to dust and contain insect fragments; rodent droppings do not — that is the usual first clue
• Take advice from the Bat Conservation Trust national helpline or the statutory nature conservation body first
• A licence may be required before any work affecting a roost, including work with no intention to harm bats